(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents a coalition of property and business owners throughout Pinal County who have worked to bring new transportation infrastructure to the region.)
By Mark Cowling | Pinal Central
FLORENCE — The Pinal County Board of Supervisors passed an annual budget of $1.02 billion on Wednesday, which is up $4.6 million over last year, primarily for roads.
A big item is $87.5 million funded by the state to continue building State Route 24 in northern Pinal. It will fund the intersection at Ironwood Road and continue building the highway east to the Central Arizona Project canal.
In the future, Pinal would then be able to build its north-south Central Arizona Parkway to help Queen Creek and San Tan Valley residents more easily reach State Route 24, Pinal County Manager Leo Lew said.
With another $9 million in state appropriations, Pinal will continue to design the connection of Maricopa to Interstate 10 with the cities of Casa Grande and Maricopa.
The county is also planning improvements on Thornton Road from Selma Highway to Interstate 8; road improvements with the city of Coolidge surrounding Procter & Gamble’s new plant; a Mount Lemmon Highway extension; and Hunt Highway Phase 5 from Magma Road to Franklin Road in Florence.